VG247 » Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroeshttp://www.vg247.com
VG247.comTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:09:51 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.1Metal Gear Solid 5: every rumour & fact herehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/06/06/mgs-ground-zeroes-all-access-every-rumour-fact-here/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/06/mgs-ground-zeroes-all-access-every-rumour-fact-here/#commentsFri, 06 Jun 2014 15:00:41 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=291717Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is coming. We’re compiling every rumour, fact, screenshot, tweet, trailer and sniff of information about the project from the day it was revealed until it launches in 2015. We must be mad, but you know you love it.

We’ll be updating this page regularly with every new Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes fact, rumour, screen and trailer that emerges. So to stay up to date with the game’s progress from now until release, bookmark this page.

We’re aware you’re not fans of too many page breaks but I’m splitting this up to make the list easier on those viewing on phones. It’s seriously getting ludicrous in length, so here’s a contents guide so you can quickly jump around to find the biggest Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes news. If you have suggestions on the format, please let me know in the comments. Remember: I’m doing this for you guys!

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain will be at E3 2014, and press are being invited to see it running behind closed doors. Kojima has shed some light on the footage, and has also dropped details of the game’s new trailer.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain will be shown via a new trailer at E3 next week, so Hideo Kojima decided to get the hype train rolling by streaming some live gameplay on a PlayStation 4. Salivating yet? Good. Grab a napkin and head below.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes has shipped over 1 million copies worldwide, Konami has announced. The figure isn’t copies sold, but how many units have been sent to retail, which is why digital figures weren’t mentioned.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes publisher Konami has rolled out a making-of video that shows Kojima Productions implemented its new tech, utilised motion capture and more to make the prologue’s visuals sing.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is a tricky one to peg down. Is is a prologue or demo, and is the boxed code actually worth £30 on PS4 & Xbox One? Gamers have asked Dave Cook many questions about Kojima’s latest this week. Here are the answers

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes reviews are spreading like gunfire in a rain-swept base, and we’ve got some raw gameplay footage for you to check out. Watch as Dave Cook infiltrates Camp Omega, knocks out some fools and gets very wet indeed.

Ground Zeroes is a prequel, a tutorial and a taster for The Phantom Pain, which Kojima has said is designed to satisfy fans while they wait for the full game, which will take some time to complete thanks to the rigours of next-gen development.

It releases on March 18 and is not a full-priced release. In the US, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version will cost $20 in digital form and $30 at retail.

The PS4 and Xbox One version is priced at $30 digitally and $40 in shops.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/04/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-is-two-hours-long-report/feed/31Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes rated M, gets content warning for sexual violencehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/01/06/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-rated-m-gets-content-warning-for-sexual-violence/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/06/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-rated-m-gets-content-warning-for-sexual-violence/#commentsMon, 06 Jan 2014 23:04:01 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=437779Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has scored a Mature 17+ rating from the ESRB, which is not surprising in itself, but some of the content mentioned in the assessment is.

The ESRB gave the game four content warnings, for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, and in a first for the franchise, sexual violence.

Normally sexual violence would propel a game straight into the 18+ Adults Only category, but Kojima Productions chose to suggest rather than demonstrate.

“The game includes an audio file in which a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters; while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard,” the ESRB said.

As for general violence, the game contains “realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects”, and use a variety of firearms as well as stealth attacks like choking or stabbing, and the ability to kill non-adversary characters.

“One cutscene includes a depiction of blood and gore (e.g., a character’s intestines exposed during a dramatic procedure to remove an object),” the ESRB added.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/06/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-rated-m-gets-content-warning-for-sexual-violence/feed/63MGS 5: The Phantom Pain “hundreds of times larger” than Ground Zeroeshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/01/01/mgs-5-the-phantom-pain-hundreds-of-times-larger-than-ground-zeroes/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/01/mgs-5-the-phantom-pain-hundreds-of-times-larger-than-ground-zeroes/#commentsWed, 01 Jan 2014 23:04:14 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=436798Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes contains just a fraction of the world map which will be available in The Phantom Pain.

“Ground Zeroes has a relatively small field compared to the main game, which is hundreds of times larger,” franchise creator Hideo Kojima said on Twitter, as translated by Siliconera.

Kojima offered a few other snippets of information, noting that Ground Zeroes if both a prologue to Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and a tutorial to Metal Gear Solid in general, which is ‘transitioning to a sneaking simulator’.

Ground Zeroes does not include the real-time effects of The Phantom Pain, but does contain a variety of missions set at different time of day, he added, and featuring different play styles. It’s due on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One at the end of March, and is a budget release designed to give fans something to chew on while The Phantom Pain’s lengthy next-gen development continues.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/01/mgs-5-the-phantom-pain-hundreds-of-times-larger-than-ground-zeroes/feed/4Here’s how the Xbox-exclusive Raiden mission ins Metal Gear Solid 5 will workhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/heres-how-the-xbox-exclusive-raiden-mission-ins-metal-gear-solid-5-will-work/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/heres-how-the-xbox-exclusive-raiden-mission-ins-metal-gear-solid-5-will-work/#commentsTue, 10 Dec 2013 22:26:07 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=433915Early this morning we got some details on and a trailer for the bonus mission that Xbox family editions of Ground Zeroes will include a bonus scenario set in in same location as the main game except you control Raiden in a fight again the body snatchers. Explanations for this inside.

In Kojima’s latest move in his constant war against the suspension of disbelief, Raiden will time travel to the past to go into the Cuban base that is the setting for the MGS V prequel tutorial to deal with an influsx of body snatchers that are taking over the soldiers therein. By virtue of being a cyborg, Raiden is uniquely qualified to deal with this threat, and his cyborg vision allows him to easily identify who is still human and who isn’t. The gameplay, then, revolves around dealing with the aliens while trying not to get the whole base down on you. It’s essentially a “sneak around and kill specific targets mission,” or so siliconera says.

This first part of Metal Gear Solid 5 hits on March 18.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/heres-how-the-xbox-exclusive-raiden-mission-ins-metal-gear-solid-5-will-work/feed/0Kojima confirms he will not make Metal Gear Solid games for eternityhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/kojima-confirms-he-will-not-make-metal-gear-solid-games-for-eternity/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/kojima-confirms-he-will-not-make-metal-gear-solid-games-for-eternity/#commentsTue, 10 Dec 2013 17:27:43 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=433880Confirming long-held suspicions that Hideo Kojima will not live forever while continuing to make Metal Gear games in perpetuity until humankind becomes extinct, Kojima himself told Xbox Wire that at some point somebody else will be in charge of making new entries in the popular stealth franchise.

“The only thing I can say for certain,” Kojima mused, “is that I personally will not be able to carry MGS forward for another 25 years. However, with new talent at the helm guiding the series through each new stage, I can easily imagine a world 25 years from now where a new MGS franchise continues onward into the future.”

Kojima is currently 50 years old. Given he’s said before that he’s done with Metal Gear and that clearly turned out to be not true, it’s conceivable that he could live to be 75 while continuing to produce these things. Japan does have the highest overall life expectancy of any nation in the world, and Kojima-san eats what appears to be quality food, judging by his Twitter feed.

You guys think Kojima will stop making MGS without dropping dead during production when he’s 87 years old? Do you think the fans would even let him quit?

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/kojima-confirms-he-will-not-make-metal-gear-solid-games-for-eternity/feed/20Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes’ box art is just Snake’s ugly mughttp://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-box-art-is-just-snakes-ugly-mug/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/10/metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-box-art-is-just-snakes-ugly-mug/#commentsTue, 10 Dec 2013 15:55:05 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=433871We’ve gotten to stare at Old Solid Snake’s face on the cover of MGS4 for more than five years now, but soon we’ll also get a game box with regular-aged Naked Snake as well, as that’s pretty much all the cover for Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Knomani tweeted out is.

Now, Xbox Wire has spoken with Hideo Kojima, who explained what Sutherland’s performance brought to the table.

“It’s no longer just about the words that a character speaks,” Kojima explained, “it’s about the depth of their facial performance and the expressive tone of their voice. As technology evolves, it’s vital that the expressiveness of the characters in the game evolve to match the capabilities of the hardware. Kiefer is helping us to raise the bar in that respect, and I’m looking forward to the final result.”

Kojima also discussed the nature of Ground Zeroes’ open world. He clarified, “First of all, to avoid confusion, I would like to clarify that my vision for “MGSV” does differ a bit from what most people may assume when they think of the current “Open-World” genre. A more accurate way to describe it would be a “stealth simulator” in an open world environment.

“The open world elements exist to remove the rails from the stealth experience, allowing players to freely plan their own routes and experiment with their own unique infiltration strategies. However, at its heart, the gameplay is all about stealth and we don’t intend to shift the focus away from that.”

Are you happy with Sutherland’s adoption of Hayter’s role? Let us know below.

In a press release sent to VG247 today, Kojima said of the ties between both games, “The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what Metal Gear Solid : The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential. As such,Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has been designed to introduce key elements, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game will offer.”

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will launch Spring 2014 on PS3 and Xbox 360 as a boxed release at £29.99, while digital versions will cost £19.99., while PS4 and Xbox One digital versions come in at £29.99.

According to the release, Ground Zeroes, “charts a rescue mission as users infiltrate a Cuban prison camp, and sets in motion a series of events that culminate in the stunning plotlines of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.”

In a press release sent to VG247 this morning, Konami confirmed that the new outfit will assist in development of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Kojima himself will provide ongoing assistance to the team as it works on both titles.

Director Hideo Kojima said in an attached statement, “As gaming takes the world stage as one of the greatest forms of entertainment, it’s only natural for us to expand our operations across the globe. And since Los Angeles is ground zero for the best studios, facilities and world-class talent, we are leaning on of these local resources to build an incredible team to create gaming experiences that are just as compelling as any film or television show.”

Tomoyuki Tsuboi, president of Konami Digital Entertainment added, “The Los Angeles studio emphasizes Konami and Kojima Productions commitment to expanding our development footprint. The new studio will put Kojima Productions in the heart of the west which will benefit future releases as it will introduce new talent and creativity to the development teams.”

We’ve got photos of the new studio below.

Our very own freelancer Phil Owen was at the studio last night to see a live gameplay demo of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. Look out for his write-up imminently.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/06/kojima-productions-la-now-open-photos-details-and-hideo-quotes-inside/feed/1Hollywood actor to have a role in MGS 5 – rumourhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/04/22/hollywood-actor-to-have-a-role-in-metal-gear-solid-5-rumour/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/04/22/hollywood-actor-to-have-a-role-in-metal-gear-solid-5-rumour/#commentsMon, 22 Apr 2013 02:14:47 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=360359An actor is going to appear in Metal Gear Solid 5 as “the one you thought I would be from the start”, apparently. If this were any other game, I’d probably bury this story in so much salt just looking at it would close your arteries.

The rumour comes via one of the dodgiest sources possible – a YouTube video called The Chosen One uploaded by a brand new account. In the video, which appears to be mimed to a speech generator, a masked claims to be a Hollywood actor who does voice-overs, including for several popular animated movies. The figure said they will be voicing a new character soon, and added that they will be “the one you thought I would be from the start”.

“Look closer, detectives. The hint is right in front of you,” the figure added, before promising to return on June 11 to reveal their true identity.

The account holder calls him or herself OnigawaraV, and if it is the same person who appears in the video, is referred to as “Mr Oni”. Oni is a Japanese word for a type of creature commonly translated into English as “ogre’, and Kojima referred to Metal Gear Solid 5 as “Project Ogre” for many months before reveal. An Onigawara is a decorative roof tile depicting an oni’s face.

Which brings us to the face in the video, which sports a bandage get-up very similar to that worn by a character in the trailers for The Phantom Pain, as well as by “Joakim Mogrem”, head of the fictional Moby Dick Studios said to be responsible for the title, which was later revealed as a Kojima Productions game and part of Metal Gear Solid 5. The actor who portrayed Mogrem has not been identified. The close similarity of the facial bandaging to real assets and promotional materials – like this image of Hideo Kojima wearing the Ismael face – is compelling.

On top of that, the figure in the video is wearing a shirt displaying the logos for The Phantom Pain and Moby Dick Studios. These haven’t been offered for sale and were last seen on Konami staff – but it’s not that difficult to recreate shirts.

I’ve decided to add a rumour tag to this piece because the GameTrailers member ‘Joakim Mogren’ has uploaded the above clip to the users section, rather than the official channels. It may mean that the video is unofficial.

We’ve emailed Konami for confirmation but as with most virals, if it’s true they won’t confirm it, so we’ll get back to you with more when we can. Stay tuned.

Also the morse code in the clip has been cracked by YouTuber AesopsEpisoden.

Does this mean the men in the video are configuring the world’s first VR simulation? Is Snake inside the simulation to help him combat post-traumatic stress after his car crash? It would explain all of the freaky stuff we’ve seen in the initial Phantom Pain trailer.

Read on for more clues from the trailer.

ORIGINAL STORY:

About halfway through there is a subliminal blip, that VG247 reader Dragon246 has kindly transcribed for us.

Well, as Dragon quite rightly points out, the military base seen in the first Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes trailer was called Camp Omega, so there’s your first common thread. The morse code at the end of the text simply reads “?” when translated.

Second, note the medical and psychological report at the end. In the first Phantom Pain trailer, we see what looks like Snake suffering a car crash, which presumably leaves him badly injured, hence the clip largely taking place in a hospital.

There’s also talk of “Psychological stress”, which would explain all the mad images in the hospital, of white petals – a nod to The Boss in MGS3 – images of giant flaming whales, the bosses horse, Volgin on fire, and what appears to be The Sorrow or Psycho Mantis floating in the background.

The text also says, “VR PROGRAM: PHANTOM_PAIN.MME”, so could the events in The Phantom pain trailer just be a VR training exercise to help Snake battle the post-traumatic stress suffered in battle? The rumoured 1970s-80s setting may render that technically impossible, but with Kojima – sorry, Joakim – anything’s possible, right?

So, is this Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes? Let us know what you think below, and be sure to check out our Ground Zeroes all access page, which is where I’m tracking every single rumour, fact, tweet, image and video for Kojima’s project.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/15/the-phantom-pain-video-interview-confirms-fox-engines-involvement/feed/10Hideo Kojima’s GDC session to be livestreamed – reporthttp://www.vg247.com/2013/03/13/hideo-kojimas-gdc-session-to-be-livestreamed-report/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/13/hideo-kojimas-gdc-session-to-be-livestreamed-report/#commentsWed, 13 Mar 2013 21:52:45 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=348810According to MetalGearSolid.nl‘s translation of an interview on MetalGearSolid.be, Kojima Productions’ Ken Imaizumi said Hideo Kojima’s GDC presentation will be livestreamed. GDC sessions are normally filmed and made available after the show, but Kojima’s presentation is unusual in another way, being 90 minutes long. Kojima will discuss the FOX Engine and show footage of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, so cross your fingers for word we’ll all be able to tune in. GDC runs March 25 through 29, and Kojima’s presentation is scheduled for 11:00 AM PT March 27.

Thanks, Johnny.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/13/hideo-kojimas-gdc-session-to-be-livestreamed-report/feed/1Kojima extends MGS: Ground Zeroes GDC session, will show gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2013/03/07/kojima-extends-mgs-ground-zeroes-gdc-session-will-show-game/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/07/kojima-extends-mgs-ground-zeroes-gdc-session-will-show-game/#commentsThu, 07 Mar 2013 12:14:26 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=347030Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be shown during Hideo Kojima’s GDC ’13 session, along with his studio’s FOX Engine. Originally, Kojima was only going to show off the engine, but thanks to an extended slot, he is showing off more of the game live.

CVG reports that Kojima’s sessions – titled, ‘Photorealism through the eyes of a ‘Fox’ – The core of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes’ – has gone from 60 to 90 minutes.

Kojima will be joined by the project’s technical director Junji Tago, lighting artist Masayuki Suzuki and CG art director Hideki Sasaki to host the session.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/07/kojima-extends-mgs-ground-zeroes-gdc-session-will-show-game/feed/5MGS Ground Zeroes: Snake actor David Hayter asks fans how they’d feel if he didn’t returnhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/03/06/mgs-ground-zeroes-snake-actor-david-hayter-asks-fans-how-theyd-feel-if-he-didnt-return/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/06/mgs-ground-zeroes-snake-actor-david-hayter-asks-fans-how-theyd-feel-if-he-didnt-return/#commentsWed, 06 Mar 2013 13:17:43 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=346614Metal Gear Solid voice actor David Hayter has conducted a very weird Twitter poll, asking fans how they’d feel if he didn’t return as the voice of Solid Snake. Is he just trolling the world, or is there a slight chance he may not be returning? Judge for yourself.

Hmm. What’s he up to?

Last week I interviewed Hideo Kojima, who said he’s genuinely worried that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be a flop, as it covers a lot of mature and taboo themes. You can check out my full interview here.

We’re also rounding up every rumour, screen and quote regarding Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes from now until the game eventually launches. Why? Because we’re nuts, clearly. Check it out here.

“Videogames as a medium really haven’t matured very much in the past 25 years. It’s always about killing aliens or zombies – not that I don’t like those kind of games – but I think games have a long way to go before they can mature.”

Hideo Kojima is getting serious. Although he was on tour to promote the gleefully immature Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the next few years of his career will focus on pushing every boundary imaginable. It’s time for him to grow up.

He’s worried that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be a financial failure as a result of breaking new ground. Ever the rebel, he said he’ll be less worried when his bosses at Konami start asking difficult questions surrounding the project.

“I’m going to be treading a lot of taboos,” he continued, “and a lot of mature themes that really are quite risky. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to release the game. Even if I did release the game, maybe it wouldn’t sell because it’s all too much.

“But as a creator I want to take that risk. As a producer it’s my job to try and sell the game, but I’m approaching this project from the point of view as a creator. I’m prioritising creativity over sales.”

What little we’ve seen of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes suggests that the imprisonment and indoctrination of kids will play a key role. That’s a bold step in an industry that approaches violence towards children at great distance. Whatever issues eventually send alarm bells ringing, Kojima will remain firm.

He said that Rising is selling well worldwide so far, giving him further license to do as he pleases. The man is near-untouchable at the moment, but he remains humble, piling immense praise on Platinum Games’ end-product. Should a Rising sequel happen, Kojima wants Platinum back for round two.

It’s a real change in tone, because the project was immensely troubled before it ended up at Platinum. He told us that initially, Kojima’s younger, relatively inexperienced team felt pressured by the game’s ‘Metal Gear’ mantle. The blade mode was also sluggish, and the destruction mechanic was creating all sorts of performance issues.

Some problems never fully went away after the hand-over. It’s no secret that both Kojima Productions and Platinum have always held each other in the highest regard, but they didn’t see eye-to-eye on many issues. In the end, the game received a mostly-positive critical reaction in the press.

“I’m really impressed with what Platinum did,” Kojima admitted. “They were very gutsy to take over a project that had fallen apart in the middle of production. They took it on themselves to take this insanely difficult thing to deal with – the free cutting mechanic – and complete the game.

“Not only that, but they weren’t taking on just any game. Now they were taking on a Metal Gear title, and it was their first time working on such a big project. It had a lot of baggage with it, and a lot of hugely, insanely critical fans. If they got anything wrong it would have reflected very badly on them.”

The hardest part is behind both studios now, and the potential for a Rising sequel is there. However, Kojima stressed that he doesn’t want to start whoring out every element of the series in off-shoots. Much to the shock of everyone in the room, he revealed that he does want to make another, potentially incredible spin-off one day.

“I think Rising was a special case,” he explained. “In the future I may make other games, maybe featuring The Boss as a main character. That’s something I want to make personally, but as far as a series of spin-offs – there may be another Rising in the future, but it’s not something I want to make a habit of.”

The potential for a game starring The Boss has been mentioned by Kojima in passing before, but to hear it stated so assuredly got the Metal Gear fan in me excited. Kojima was understandably cautious of saying more on the matter, as he’s a man who knows how to manage expectations.

Most recently, last year’s The Phantom Pain trailer was a masterclass in raising hype and expectations through the roof. Both the clip and Kojima’s nodding, winking appearance at the VGAs got people talking. He didn’t acknowledge the clip once during our interview.

On the outside Kojima may seem like an unbridled, free-thinking creator, but he had to show real restraint when advising Platinum during Rising’s development. The project has already fallen apart once, and he couldn’t afford for it to collapse again.

Said Kojima, “Some of the ideas that they proposed I was opposed to originally. For example, there’s the scene where Raiden throws the Metal Gear RAY up into the air. I thought, ‘No way. This is ridiculous’.

“But, when they actually put it into the game and I had a chance to play it, it felt really good in that context. My job became not necessarily to fight with them – although we did have our disagreements – but I just had to move that line a little bit, and get the best out of Platinum as best as possible.”

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is out now and it’s up to the players to decide if it best reflects the strengths of both Kojima Productions and Platinum Games. In Kojima’s mind, this collaboration has been a surprising success, and he has already started to thrash out loose ideas for a follow-up.

Raiden’s debut In Metal Gear Solid 2 was met with scathing criticism in the West. His return as a hardened, borderline psychotic killer in Metal Gear Solid 4 begged forgiveness, but the transition has also raised many questions.

We know that during those years Raiden saved Sunny from The Patriots, and that he was forcibly transformed into the synthetic Frankenstein’s monster we know today. The rest exists in Kojima’s imagination, and has yet to be committed to code.

“The original Rising was intended to tell the story between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4,” he continued. “I think there’s a lot of possibilities there. It’s a real cool story that could be told, and I’ve given the staff some suggestions.

“That said, I personally will not be making it, but that’s perhaps a possibility for the future. The only problem with that however is that I think it’d be very difficult for Platinum to develop the game between Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4, because that story exists only in my head.

“Obviously at each step of the way Platinum were coming back to consult with me over what was going to happen, so it would probably be difficult for them to proceed with this game.”

“That’s actually why we changed it to after Metal Gear Solid 4 for Rising, because it gave Platinum more freedom with Raiden’s future, without having to fit into the middle of the series.

“Honestly, I can’t say whether or not a game set between 2 and 4 will actually happen, but that’s the background of what happened.”

Should the game happen, would you be willing to come back for more? I know I would.

Disclosure: This interview was held at a Konami event in London. All travel was paid for by VG247. Catering was offered by not accepted.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/16/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-needs-a-project-engineer-according-to-job-listing/feed/30Hideo Kojima to show off FOX Engine, Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes at GDChttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/13/hideo-kojima-to-show-off-fox-engine-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-at-gdc/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/13/hideo-kojima-to-show-off-fox-engine-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-at-gdc/#commentsWed, 13 Feb 2013 18:36:20 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=339837Hideo Kojima will detail the FOX Engine for first time through a demonstration featuring Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes at GDC. The session, “Photorealism Through the Eyes of a ‘Fox’ – The Core of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes” will show some of the “key components and unique methods” used in the game’s development, according to GDC organizers. The talk will focus on the lighting system, environmental elements, and character realism among other things including the FOX Engine tools. Technical director Junji Tago, lighting artist Masayuki Suzuki, and CG art director Hideki Sasaki will join Kojima on stage. GDC takes place March 25-29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/13/hideo-kojima-to-show-off-fox-engine-metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-at-gdc/feed/3Konami financials: profits down 48% in Q3, forecast cuthttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/07/konami-financials-profits-down-48-in-q3-forecast-slashed/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/07/konami-financials-profits-down-48-in-q3-forecast-slashed/#commentsThu, 07 Feb 2013 10:18:39 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=337758Konami joins a growing list of console game companies posting a dip in financials. The Japanese company saw a 48% decease in profit for the period, and as such, has trimmed its financial projection for the year.

GI.biz reports that Konami’s console and digital arm saw a 19% drop in sales at ¥80.5 billion for the nine-months ended December 31st, 2012. That equates to $859 million / £547.6 million.

The company as a whole saw a year-on-year profit decrease, falling from ¥17 billion to ¥8.2 billion. It’s a drop of 48%.

Going forward, Konami has now cut its full-year profit projection by 43%, down to ¥13.5 billion. The company attributed the decrease to the delay of content for social networks and slot machines into the next fiscal year.

Konami has a lot going on at the moment however, with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance launching February 22nd and the impending Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes from Hideo Kojima. It should be a banker, but what do you think?

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/07/konami-financials-profits-down-48-in-q3-forecast-slashed/feed/1Metal Gear Solid reveal coming in next week’s Famitsuhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/12/12/metal-gear-solid-reveal-coming-in-next-weeks-famitsu/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/12/metal-gear-solid-reveal-coming-in-next-weeks-famitsu/#commentsWed, 12 Dec 2012 11:01:29 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=323901Metal Gear Solid is to get some form of reveal in next week’s Famitsu, the Japanese magazine has been teasing. It had better not just be Kojima trolling us.

As you may be aware, a suspiciously Metal Gear-flavoured trailer for something called The Phantom Pain emerged from the VGAs over the weekend. If you missed it, you can watch it here:

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/12/metal-gear-solid-reveal-coming-in-next-weeks-famitsu/feed/5Metal Gear Solid watch: The Phantom Pain gets official screenshttp://www.vg247.com/2012/12/10/metal-gear-solid-watch-the-phantom-pain-gets-official-screens/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/10/metal-gear-solid-watch-the-phantom-pain-gets-official-screens/#commentsMon, 10 Dec 2012 13:46:15 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=323041The Phantom Pain was the mysterious ‘new’ game unveiled at the VGAs over the weekend. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that it’s actually either Metal Gear Solid 5 or Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. We’ve analysed the reveal in full here to explain why we feel it’s Metal Gear-related. Supposed developer Moby Dick studios has published a set of HD screens from the game on its shady site. We’ve got them below. Enjoy.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/10/metal-gear-solid-watch-the-phantom-pain-gets-official-screens/feed/41Kojima – “I don’t like being thought of as the Metal Gear guy, there’s a lot more I can do”http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/29/kojima-i-dont-like-being-thought-of-as-the-metal-gear-guy-theres-a-lot-more-i-can-do/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/29/kojima-i-dont-like-being-thought-of-as-the-metal-gear-guy-theres-a-lot-more-i-can-do/#commentsThu, 29 Nov 2012 16:41:12 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=319834Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will introduce “concepts for new IP,” according to Hideo Kojima.

Speaking with EGM, Kojima didn’t mention Ground Zeroes by name specifically, instead stating that the “next Metal Gear” game will introduce new IP concepts, but it’s not hard to figure.

Still, even with a new Metal Gear game in the works, Kojima doesn’t want to always be known as “the Metal Gear guy.”

“I’m often misinterpreted,” Kojima said. “I’ve always said that I want to work on original properties, but Metal Gear offers plenty of benefits. The Fox Engine, for example, took a lot of time and money [to create]; we were only able to develop it because it was intended for the next Metal Gear. In the next game, I’m introducing concepts intended for entirely new intellectual properties using the Metal Gear brand.

“I’ll admit that I hope my future endeavours are thought of as ‘works by Hideo Kojima’ rather than ‘from the creator of Metal Gear. I haven’t really shown the world what else I might be capable of yet. This may sound pretentious, but I don’t like being thought of as ‘the Metal Gear guy.’ There’s a lot more I can do.”

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/29/kojima-i-dont-like-being-thought-of-as-the-metal-gear-guy-theres-a-lot-more-i-can-do/feed/2Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes – Watch Kojima’s Eurogamer Expo session in full herehttp://www.vg247.com/2012/10/31/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-watch-kojimas-eurogamer-expo-in-full-here/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/31/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-watch-kojimas-eurogamer-expo-in-full-here/#commentsWed, 31 Oct 2012 12:29:25 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=311853Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes was showcased at Eurogamer Expo back in September, and included a Q&A session with Hideo Kojima. The site has just put the whole clip live for you to watch. There’s words from Kojima himself, gameplay footage and more. Check it out below.

Snake will have a home base in the open world that can be fortified and managed, and Kojima Productions is looking at the option for players to manage bases from smartphones.

Changes made will be updated in the core game, and players will be able to walk around the base in realtime, upgrade it and more. Also back for the game is weapon R&D from Peace Walker.

The Hideo Kojima session is going on as we speak at Eurogamer Expo. Look for a full report on the session once it ends.

Ground Zeroes has not been dated.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/27/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-will-include-base-building-smartphone-integration/feed/2Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes first official screens releasedhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/09/10/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-first-official-screens-released/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/10/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-first-official-screens-released/#commentsMon, 10 Sep 2012 09:17:33 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=295307Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has received its first batch of official screens out of Kojima Productions. Check them out below.

When detractors proved ill-content with Hideo Kojima’s explanation, the creator asked one of his staff to render a familiar Ground Zeroes image without night-vision goggles, and tweeted it out to fans:

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/06/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-snake-pic-confirms-youthful-beard/feed/14Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes demo ‘Snake isn’t as old as he looks’ – Kojimahttp://www.vg247.com/2012/09/05/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-demo-snake-isnt-as-old-as-he-looks-kojima/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/05/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes-demo-snake-isnt-as-old-as-he-looks-kojima/#commentsWed, 05 Sep 2012 07:51:22 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=293836Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has fans speculating like mad, and one of the debated topics is the game’s time frame. In the demo unveiled recently, Snake appears as if he’s aged a fair but. That’s nonsense, according to Hideo Kojima.

Kojima took to Twitter to address fan speculation surrounding Snake’s greying hair and beard in the demo, stating that it was nothing more than a lighting effect.

He said, “Saw many tweet about Snake in grey hair after taking off the goggle. This is due to the rim-lighting.”

So the time line is once again thrown into dispute. As the characters Paz and Chico are mentioned in the demo, Ground Zeroes could be a close continuation of Peace Walker, but we won’t fully know until Kojima says so.